Squarespace Blog / "eco friendly"

FAVORITES Friday: Lime Green & Black

This is my favorite part about blogging... I actually find myself looking forward to doing it... yay! And, it seems like people appreciate the feature on a popular blog as well... so I guess its a win win!



#1) CABfayre: Ummm..... can we say awesome? I dont even know what else to say... seriously... skulls... lime green... black... a little bling... chains... CHAINS!? im in love...

#2) Divokc: @StuffByXtine was part one of decision for the Lime & Black theme this week... so no doubt we had to get her in here! And look what I found! Super duper cute little lime & black argyle halloween magnets!! Free shipping on all Halloween items! Get them quick!

#3) DanzingZebra: Everyone remember the VooDoo Jack giveaway we did way back when? Well they are still EASILY one of my favorites... I STILL have this soap and it gets used all the time... its lasted forever, great stuff... and still makes my diamond all sparkly :)

#4) ANORIGINALJEWELRY: This really might be my new favorite etsy item... I get SO overwhelmed when I look for jewelry on etsy so I usually just DONT. There is too much and its all the same. But this little skull jumped right out at me and screamed... *HEY! YOU LOVE ME* and it was right ;)

#5) RockyTheZombie: My girl Rocky was part 2 in the lime black decision... and her green is a little dark, but she more than deserves a spot in the favorites list today :) If I had to could... I would say I have like...... 8 Rocky shirts for the boys? And i have 4 paintings up in the play room... yeah... i'm probably her biggest fan... I think in 5 years all her shirts will be screen printed and she will be a million year... it could happen. Her stuff is THAT great.

#6) StrawberryCremeKat: While fumbling through Rockys shop... I ran across another store that featured this SUPER rad necklace... I just had to add it in. I LOVE the squishy fake grapes... makes me think of my great grandma... but in a really cool, high fashion, pinup-y kinda way, lol

#7) AForestFrolic: Im a big fan... she has the CUTEST stuff... the best photos... an amazing blog... really, im just blown away by her talents with PAPER! Can you believe the little details? She is the perfect shop to go to when you wannt get some retail therapy... you can buy a ton of things... spend like $10 and find a great use for all of it!

#8) Wonky Rocket: How cute is this shop... well, besides just plain friggen adorable... I think, we need to get them to do a review & giveaway here at the blog... what do you think?Maybe we should all send them a message that says, PLEASE DO A REVIEW/GIVEAWAY @ THE ROCKERBYEBABY BLOG! :)

#9) Stoopidgerl: I heart her... were twitter buds... and facebook buds... and shes having a baby! So everyone go buy something from her shop so she can come buy a ton of stuff from me for the new baby ;) But really, how friggen cool is this skull necklace... she has one in turquoise too and I was just blown away by her creativity... Did you also see how rad her photos are?? Shes like the perfect etsyier... great stuff... great photos... and look at that... almost 2,500 sales... why? Because shes a rock star.



One more important favorite I wanted to mention... www.MiracleDiapers.org

I would LOVE it if some of my many MAMA readers could help out... old diapers... new diapers... money... whatever you can share. They will greatly appreciate it... Ill make a deal with you... If you DONATE 1 Diaper OR $5 to their paypal... I will send you a set of two booger bashers for free. Just Leave a comment here with proof of your donation.

"Past and Future
Miracle Diapers was founded in Oregon in January of 2005 to fill a need. There were many families who wanted to cloth diaper their children for health, economical, and environmental reasons but could not due to financial restrictions. Due to the overwhelming response, Miracle Diapers decided to to open two more chapters by the end of that year. Now, under new management, Miracle Diapers is now in our fourth year of service and looks forward to expanding even further.

Our goal is to someday have representatives all over the United States. Through this we hope to not only be able to serve thousands of families in need, but to be able to educate the public on today’s cloth diapers and therefore helping cloth become more mainstream."

"For Monetary ($) donations, please click here!,"
I just send them $5 its really easy and takes just a few seconds....

Another way to donate... Buy from Rockin Green Soap! "For every purchase of a 90/180 load bag, will donate $5 dollars to Miracle Diapers. "


"If you would like to donate , and you do not live in the area of one of our local drop off locations listed below, please send packages to:
Miracle Diapers Headquarters
23945 Franz Rd., Ste E, #126
Katy, TX 77493

Sending a package?

Donations: Please include a list of the items you are donating, your name, address, and an email address in your package as well as a note stating that it is a donation."
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New Giveaway! 2 ties from RokGear! You pick...

GIVEAWAY FROM ROKGEAR!

Looking back at my wedding, there is NO DOUBT that RokGear was the biggest thing to "tie" it all together... (get it... lame pun, sorry, lol) I really went out of my way to blend both the classy and pretty w/ the punk rock.. And from what everyone has said... I did a great job. But one HUGE aspect what the guys' ties... Skull & Damask print on red ties (zaq's was on white). They were PERFECTION!
See?!?


Weren't we a sexy group!?



Both my guys & girls in black... with each just a pop of red... they looked phenomenal.
Classic... simple... and sexy... LOVE IT!

Alright, alright... thats enough blabbing and picture sharing... Everyone knows how much I love RokGear :) Now let me tell you about all the reasons why...
#1: They have been printing ties since 1995, OMG! Now thats dedication & Experience...
They started etsy just over a year ago and are totally "Rok'n" it...
#2: No clip art... You not gunna find the graphic to these ties floating on Photobucket...
"You will not find our neckties or designs on any department store shelf, we do not wholesale if you purchase a Rokgear design, necktie, t-shirt a print in general, It is directly from our Burbank Studio.
Not that we don't get hundreds of offers from vendors wanting our items, at RokGear customer service is all about the "Customer" and we can't rely on a third party vendor to take care of our customers." #3: THEY'RE ECO FRIENDLY!! "Water based ink screenprinting contains neither PVC nor phthalates making them an environmentally friendly choice. Water based ink ingredients are non-toxic, lead-free and do not contain any heavy metals. As such, they are safe for use on infant clothing, underwear and swimsuits."
#4: Options... sooo many options... Pick your color... pick your size (length and width... ... ... ... ;) ... pick your print... the combinations just go on and on and on... theres something for everyone...
#5: even more combinations... You can choose from Silk tie or Microfiber. We chose microfiber for the wedding. Its super easy to clean... the colors are just as great... still had a beautiful shine... and they're cheaper! For us it was a GREAT investment...
#6: The right size for everyone... On average an 8" tie may fit a boy up to about 2 or 3 years old, an 11" tie up to about 5 or 6 and a 14" up to about 10 or 11. For adults... A standard necktie is 3.75" wide at it's widest point and 57" long.
#7: They love RockerByeBaby, too.... ;) http://www.rokgear.com/Featured-Etsy-Shop.php
...
I could go on and on about all the amazing things coming out of RokGear... but you just have to see for yourself... And yes of course... one of you will get the chance to win... not one, but TWO MICROFIBER TIES... of your choice... You can choose one of two things... Either a matching father/son set... (1 adult tie & 1 kids tie... ) or two kids ties... You choose the size... color... and print... Pick your color from this amazing list... And shop till you drop on the website and etsy shop to see ALLLLLL the amazing print options ;)

To win... Go to the RokGear etsy shop... or the RokGear Website. In a comment... tell me your ultimate print & color choice... and why you want to win! The winner will then be contacted for a final decision on size, set, etc. How excited are you?? I gotta say, Im TOTALLY jealous... i would LOVE a matching skull & damask set for my boys... *wink wink* NOW GO COMMENT!!

Extra entries?? But of course :)
EACH ENTRY MUST BE LEFT IN A SEPARATE COMMENT TO COUNT!!!!!

#2) Follow us here on (blogger) - Leave a separate comment for being a (old or new) follower on our blog.

#3) Follow/Tweet us (Twitter) - Leave a separate comment for being a follower and TWEETING about this giveaway on Twitter... If your already a twitter follower of ours, TWEET about it for an extra entry anyways :)Just be sure to leave us your Twitter name so we can check up!

#4) Write a blog about this giveaway and link back to this review. Leave an extra comment with the link to the blog.

#5) Buy something from ROK Gear! Tell us what you got!

#6) Fan US on Facebook...

#7) FOLLOW THEM ON TWITTER!! @RokGear

#8) Heart/Favorite their Etsy shop!! Spread that Etsy love!

#9) Go Bump this etsy thread! http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6327857 Then come back here an comment for an extra surprise entry!!

GOOD LUCK!
Alright... thats like... #8 entries possible... now get on it.


Once more... *The Rockin Green giveaway is STILL going on until Oct 22... KEEP ENTERING!*
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Bonus Blog: Manic Organic

So I know its supposed to be my lazy day...
but i couldn't resist.
Yesterday Zaq & I went grocery shopping with the boys...
And i have made HUGE changes in the way that I shop...
Like I said - im trying to be more eco-friendly... and Green... and Crunchy....
and all of those kinda of things...
It started with little things I could do around the house... electricity... water...
and then diapering... Cloth @ home...
and the Green disposables diapers when were out or for nap & bedtime...
Then I started buying Organic as much as I can.

Well, for zaq its hard...
We have all been eating non-organic food forever and were still alive...
why stop now? And spend a ton of extra $ in the process?
...not really his thing, lol...
And alot of other people out there feel the same...
Im quoting an article I found here.
" Many people are aware that food grown according to organic principles is free from exposure to harmful herbicides and pesticides, but that is only one small aspect of organic agriculture. A larger part of organic agriculture involves the health of the soil and the ecosystem in which crops and livestock are raised. Why should a consumer care about agricultural techniques if an organically cultivated green pepper looks identical to a conventionally grown pepper?
The answer is multi-faceted, but simply stated, an organically cultivated pepper will be healthier and more nutritious than a conventionally cultivated pepper. By growing in a living soil where microbiotic activity constantly breaks organic matter and solid minerals into nutrients a plant can use, an organically cultivated pepper plant always has exactly what it needs to grow, from germination to fruit set, and the plant will be healthier throughout its lifespan than a conventionally grown pepper plant."
Still not completely sold? Maybe some of you are... but probably not most...
The price chance in items can be pretty huge sometimes...
Conventional Grapes cost around $2 a pound... Organic grapes sometimes costing up to $5.
Bananas that usually cost .29 cents a pound... may cost .50 a pound...
Its not easy... but there are ways to make eating & shopping organic more affordable.
Here is what I have been doing so Zaq and I can meet in the middle...
We used to buy all "brand" food... supplies... etc.
The first and probably most financially changing thing we did was start shopping @ Costco.
I can buy a 3 pound container for Organic Mixed salad greens for $2.95-$3.95
One time we even got a 3 pound shell of Organic strawberries for $5!!
I once went into target to find Strawberries - my only option were non-organic...
1 lb. for $6 Thats insane!!
So yes, Costco... they also sell the Eco-diapers we like @ Costco.com 170 diapers for $40...
rather than 62 diapers for $20 @ Target...
Costco is great when you need to do the one BIG shop...
spend a couple/few/four hundred dollars and store up for the month...
the savings are HUGE.
Anyways... back to my real point... shopping organic.
In no way do I buy everything organic...
but for the kids I try pretty hard to make positive changes...
In my shopping cart:
Organic Mac & Cheese...
Organic Ravs
Organic Lettuce (Romaine Hearts)
Organic Grapes (my favorite... never want to eat regular ones again)
Organic Yogurt (YoBaby w/ DHA) Organic Waffles
Organic Oatmeal
Organic Carrots
Organic Celery
Organic Bananas
and a bunch of other random things...
I buy when things are on sale... and some things I just buy that I love...
YoBaby and Organic grapes will ALWAYS be in the cart/fridge...
Im just trying to do better things for them...
with maybe a small sacrifice of my favorite brand for myself...
while not spending any more of hubbies hard earned money than we usually do...

The reason Im posting today is I would LOVE to hear how you mommies do it...
How do you shop? Where do you shop? Do you buy organic?
Everything Organic? Some things Organic?
Where are best deals... Coupons?
and how can you help me take even bigger steps towards an organic lifestyle.
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Note to Self Saturday: Cloth Diapering = Daddy FAIL

Note to Self: When daddy says... "fine... cloth diaper, but im not touching them"
he means it...


This man... this strong handsome man that I call my husband...
hard working... tough guy... rock star... are all words you could use to describe him...
oh and I forgot one more... pansy...
when it comes to cloth diapering he is a TOTAL pansy...
When he first found out that i wanted to try my hand at cloth diapering...
he was in NO way interested...
but why would he tell me no?
It saves him money on disposable diapers...
and I got all the cloth diapers from the giant giveaway i did.
I already had them to review... why not use them regularly.
It was a win-win...
Well, so I thought...
When he said, "fine... cloth diaper, but im not touching them"
He meant it...
The man has not changed ONE single cloth diaper.
Not even a pee diaper!!
IF Zave is wet and needs a change...
I get this..."TG the baby needs changed and he has one of those stupid diapers on" and he giggles...
awesome... so I stop what Im doing... change the diaper... smile... and carry on.
If its poopy... you'd think there was a comedian in the room the way he snickers at me...
GEESH! Its just a diaper!!!
Naturally, to avoid this i would just use regular diapers when he is home...
We use the eco friendly disposables @ nap & night... Not a big deal...

But to me it is... Im trying really hard to be eco-friendly...
and cloth diapering has become really important to me...
Im not giving up that easily.
Were sticking with it...
Well, I am at least... he wont be... lol
Its good for Zave... its good for the environment... and lets be honest...
his litty squishy butt is so dang cute!
I know there are more of you with husbands who hate the idea of cloth diapering...
I hear about it quite a bit...
Chime in! Id love to hear your stories...
Hopefully some of you have good news... like... eventually you convert them!?
Haha... yeah..... well, a girl can hope right?

To finish this post I had to dig up the awesome photo that we took for Barley & Birch

One of our most favorite Eco friendly shops out there...
Stay tuned for some secret plans in the works...
hmm... a collaboration of Barley&Birch with RockerByeBaby????
It just may be ;)
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The MOTHER of all giveaways! HUGE cloth diaper basket valued over $200!!

It is time...
I have been SO insanely busy and im SORRY SORRY SORRY...
BUT because of all the chaos, I have managed to put together the MOTHER of all giveaways.
You all know were trying to be more eco-friendly over here at RockerByeBaby...
I reuse all my boxes...
All my USPS packaging has been recycled...
The only paper I print is for my labels...
I buy locally as much as I can...
and the list goes on and on...
so when I had the idea to do a cloth diaper giveaway...
I totally ran with it.

One diaper turned into two... then four... and then seven...
and by the time I said, enough...
I had a total of 8 diapers (one AIO), 3 diaper covers a wet bag and a prefold.

Who's the best? I know, i know... you love me :)
And its ALLL for you...

Now, lets talk about all the goodies in store for you...
I have personally tried EACH one of these...
well, not these exactly, these are new for you...
but each seller sent one for me to review... and one for you...
anyways... back to business.
Each item has had a thorough review...
and Ill do my best to give you each and every detail that I can.

*DING DING* Round one :)

Starting with the first batch of closeups...
and well, kinda my favorites in the diaper world...
In MY experience... for MY kids...
these two worked best.
But, dont get me wrong, they're all great or I wouldn't be representing them!

In the Top left hand corner we have The Eli Monster
Steph makes the most awesome AIO diapers...
She has all the coolest prints...
does lots of cool custom screen printing...
and her AIO's stand up to the test.
They're easy to use... no snaps to adjust...
no inserts to mess with... just put it on and your done.
And the best part - When you wash it it dries in one cycle.
Most AIO diapers take 2 or three!
Want your own Custom diaper from The Eli Monster? Click here.
She also sent a prefold! (shown in the wetbag)
They're great for using as a diaper with a diaper cover over top...
Or even as an insert for some extra protection.

Next we have a diaper by Dish Rag Baby.
Super cool zebra print and you know me, I love the Rock n Roll style...
It has a cotton zebra outer...
anti-pill fleece inner, sandwiched PUL...
and a snap in 15.5" x 15.5" microfiber rag as a soaker.
She is a total rockstar when it comes to diapering.
And its my favorite diaper for nap time.
I have used it multiple times and it only leaked once.
Thats pretty amazing in the cloth diapering world.
Scared you won't win the zebra diaper and want to buy one?
Well you can click here to buy one yourself.
They're on Clearance for just $12!!

Now last but totally not least in this photo is the Wet Bag!!
Its made by Evie Hearts Milo
So cool, so punk rock... so much skully goodness :)
And so FUNCTIONAL!
There is usually no nice way to ditch a dirty diaper...
But this wet bag makes it easy.
It holds about 3 to 4 diapers depending on the size.
And keeps in all the ooey-gooey grossness.
This is an absolute necessity for all cloth diaper-ers :)
Want to buy one? Click here...
and check it out!
She has lots of other awesome-ness too! T-shirts, onesies, and more!

Round Two!

Top Left & Right Corners: Happy Baby Cloth Diapers

Now this is another set of great diapers.
Im a big fan of HBClothDiapers.
AND theyre big "tweeters"! Follow them @HBClothDiapers
Their diapers are perfect.
Basic PUL to make them waterproof...
snaps to make them one size fits all...
and inserts too!
Now, they worked best for me when I doubled up the inserts.
Otherwise, he soaked through really fast... but with two he lasted a couple hours!
So, I highly recommend that.
They come in lots of great colors and her customer service is great.
Oh, also - probably TMI but Im gunna tell you anyways.
These were great for poopy diapers...
I just flipped the diaper and it popped out.
ALSO washed great - not a single poop streak! hahaha
*Note to self: son will hate me in the future for talking of his poops to the world*

Below the Happy Baby Diapers we have CUSHY TOOSH!
Greatest name every right? too cute...
THere are so many amazing things coming out of this shop...
I dont even know where to start...
well, I have to...
so lets start here... Snack Bags, Baby Wipes, LINERS...
and of course - diapers.
They come in all different colors and even prints if you check the site.
They're super absorbent - and if you need, you can always add extra inserts.
Check out this listing here and you can customize your own perfect diaper.
These really are great diapers.
When there is PUL in a diaper it makes a world of difference.
You just bulk up the pockets depending on what you "need"
and the diaper does the rest!

Round Three!

Top Left corner - we have the diaper for the SmartiPants
Now, this diaper is a bit different than the rest.
Its similar in thickness and style to the CushyToosh and Happy Baby...
But there are a few things that make it stick out.
#1 - its totally affordable. A 3 pack is just $39.95
#2 - its completely one size fits all with all the snaps.
#3 - The have a special patented pocket...
Its open on both ends so you can pull out the insert at either end.
Now, at first we had trouble with this diaper.
It took a few tries to figure out what worked best for us...
but now we have no troubles.
First, I used it as a cover with one liner dropped inside.
That didnt work for me and was my mistake.
Second we use the soaker inside the pocket, that worked better...
but he leaked after about 45. minutes...
Finally we learned that we need two soakers in the pocket, and then we were fine.
Now it is our trusty diaper that we wear when running errands...
throw in two soakers and he is good for a couple hours!
Check out Smarti Pants on Twitter! @thesmartipants

Next in this photo round we have Wild Child for Babies!
Totally awesome diapers. The red is such a great red, I love it!
Now, lets not forget the inside a soft micro suede...
It also comes with a liner to help flip out those messy poops.
ALL diapers should come with this...
It makes life much much easier.
Poopy diaper? Just take the liner flip it into the toilet...
flush, and toss the liner into your wetbag.
Its SO much easier than trying to dump a diaper.
The diaper is super absorbent and has a bamboo fleece insert that you can fold up.
It starts out as one bid two layer square...
you can fold it into halves or thirds depending on what you need.
Get your own red diaper here! Just $15!!
Or check out the rest of her shop for a ton of cool prints and styles!
Im headed there right now to buy another one i loved it so much...
and she has one of my favorite prints, Ooga Booga that i just gotta have!

Last but not least we have the Nifty Nappy!
The craftsmanship is amazing.
I love the look of the surged edges on the outside...
and she has a ton of cute prints!
She has bibs, swim diapers, and my new favorite, the Trainers!
I LOVE the design of her new training pants... SO CUTE!
Now lets talk diapers...
Its a little different from the others.
IT does not have PUL and requires a cover, but it is totally awesome.
She uses lots of Organic/Bamboo/Hemp fabrics...
She recommends using one of her Wool Covers over the diaper.
Or, you can do what I did, and use one of the covers from the basket!
There are three to choose from!!!

FINAL ROUND!


In the top left hand corner we have another treat from The Eli Monster
Everyone knows Im a big fan of Steph...
and this cover just stays true to that.
Super awesome Regent Skulls print (a favorite of mine)
These covers are great over diapers like the one from The Nifty Nappy above...
Or you can use it as a swim diaper!
Perfect for summer!

If you look to the right we have a cover from BrookieBaby
The design a little different from Steph's
There is a cool elastic visible trim all around the outside...
and little velcro tabs to keep it together.
She sent one of my all time favorite Michael Miller Prints...
its bright and colorful and stylish.
Another great way to use this cover is with a prefold diaper.
I sell them in my shop here.
You just wrap the prefold around babies bottom... pin with diaper pins.
Then put the cover on over top and ta-da! Diaper :)
And, totally affordable.
If you have a second, follow Brooke on twitter! @Brookiellen

Last but not least in our goodie box of treasures...
We have another diaper cover by ReThink Crafts
Her covers are great.
They still feature the PUL fabric that we all know and love...
Nice thick durable velcro to keep things secure...
and of course, tons of fun prints to choose from.
Like the others, this could be used as a swim diaper...
a cover for an existing diaper, or even a cover over a prefold or soaker.
Covers are a great affordable way to cloth diaper.
You can buy a 12 pack of Gerber prefolds for $11 @ Walmart.
Buy a hand full of diaper covers and just interchange them all.
I highly recommend picking some up from these sellers.
They are a GREAT investment.

So thats it!
What does everything think?
If you put all of these goodies together we are looking at over $200 in value.
So naturally... there will be LOTS of comments.
As usual, there are lots of extra ways for you to get entries...
and will all of these sellers... even more than usual!


How to win:
Leave us a comment here...
tell us why you want to win this basket & Which diaper/seller (from sight) is your favorite.

Extra Entries:
#2) Follow us (blogger) - Leave a separate comment for being a follower on our blog.

#3) Follow/Tweet us (Twitter) - www.twitter.com/RockerByeBaby Leave a separate comment for being a follower and TWEETING about this giveaway on Twitter... If your already a twitter follower of ours, TWEET about it for an extra entry anyways :)Just be sure to leave us your Twitter name so we can check up!

#4) Write a blog about this giveaway and link back to this review. Leave an extra comment with the link to the blog.

#5) Buy something from one of the stores - leave the link to the transaction in a separate comment.

#6) Give any of these shops a "heart" on etsy!! Only one extra entry per seller.
(Leaving 5 hearts on The Eli Monster shop only gets you one entry, but leaving 1 heart on The Eli Monster, and one on BrookieBaby gets you two... SPREAD THE LOVE!)

#7) Bump this etsy thread for an extra entry...
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6242737
Just comment and say, I BUMPED the thread and Ill go back and check.

GOOD LUCK!!! PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW!
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